01 July 2008

Knowing this brewery, I wasn't expecting a Sierra Nevada clone, and I didn't get one. Ringwood yeast makes itself apparent right away with a slightly butterscotch aroma. The beer is a nicely clear copper, but the head dies quickly. The carbonation that caused the head, on the other hand, sticks around, and is sharp and prickly.

I made the mistake of swigging this along side some garlicky food, and the effect was almost painfully spicy. Even after cleansing my palate, the hops came across as spicy/earthy. But Old Slugger doesn't lean too far in one direction between hops and malt (slightly fruity, twangy). The finish is almost musty.

Overall, it reminds me vaguely of Pride of Milford, but that bigger beer has more interesting messiness than this one does. Old Slugger isn't a weak pale ale, but it isn't a polished one either, and I know some won't like it at all. It isn't high on my list of re-purchases.